How to Catch an Animagus
by Nelka Taomi
Summary: You know in PoA when Sirius broke into Gryffindor tower, what if Harry had followed him into the Forbidden Forest, followed by Hermione? Possible name change.
1. Chapter 1

 Disclaimer: I own nothing.

           Title: To Kill a Mocking Rat

*~@~@~@~@~@~*

          Sirius Black roamed the halls of Hogwarts, finding his way to Gryffindor Tower. He fingered the long knife in his hand. The cat had given him the passwords on a small piece of paper so he could get in. The reason he wanted to get in was because of Pettigrew, he had been hiding as a pet rat for twelve years while Sirius had been in Azkaban, twelve years. As he reached the portrait hole he saw the Fat Lady had been replaced since the last time he broke in. He hadn't harmed her, much. She was replaced by a knight with a chubby, sleeping, pony. 

          "Who goes there?" the knight asked while pulling up his armor. Sirius decided he'd go with the knight's game.

          "Just a simple man, sir knight," Sirius' voice was hoarse but you could hear the sigh in his voice.

          "A simple man you may be, but I need a password for you to enter," he pulled his armor up again. Sirius reached into his pocket and took out the small piece of paper.

          "Hippogriff."

          "Yesterday's."

          "Pig snout."

         "This morning's."

          "Canary Crèmes."

          "Correct, simple man, enjoy your stay!" The portrait swung open. Sirius stepped inside. The common room was a mess, most likely because of a party going on because of the Quidditch match. It was an excellent game. Harry played almost better than James had. He walked up the stairs to the boys' dormitories. He reached the third years and opened the door. The cat had told him it was the bed next to  Harry's, which was closest to the window. Sirius crept towards the bed on the end. He opened the curtains and saw his godson. He was sweating and rolling around in his sleep. Oh how Sirius wanted to wake him up and tell him it was a dream. _Sirius, remember what you're here for, _he thought. He walked over to the bed next to Harry's and ripped the curtains with the knife on accident. He looked in and saw the boy's eyes looking at him in horror. Oops, wrong bed. 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHH!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" the boy yelled. _Got to get out, got to get out! _Sirius thought. 

          "What's going on?" Sirius shuffled through the door and slammed it shut.

~@~@~@~@~

          Harry had a very strange dream. He was walking through a forest, his Firebolt over his shoulder, following something silvery-white. It was winding its way through the trees ahead, and he could only catch glimpses of it between the leaves. Anxious to catch up with it, he sped up, but as he moved faster, so did his quarry. Harry broke into a run, and ahead he heard hooves gathering speed. Now he was running flat out, and ahead he could hear galloping. Then he turned a corner into a clearing and-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" 

          Harry woke as suddenly as though he'd been hit in the face. He saw that his hangings had been separated. He grabbed his wand and ran out the just slammed door. He saw someone ran down the hall then stairs, he followed. He saw the person ran through the common room and through the portrait hole, Harry tagged along.

~@~@~@~@~

          Hermione Granger burst into tears. Before Harry could say or do anything, she tucked the enormous book under her arm, and, still sobbing, ran toward the staircase to the girls' dormitories and out of sight. Once she reached the third year girls' dormitories she ran to her bed, put her pillow over her face and cried harder. Later she thought she should probably get some reading done. She opened the enormous book and started reading, _Home Life and Social Habits of Muggles._ After about twenty minutes of reading she decided to call it a night. Tears helped her get to sleep that night. After about an hour or so she heard muffled yelling and a door slamming twice. She grabbed her wand and ran out of her dormitory out to the common room. She saw Harry's back and ran after him out of the portrait hole. He seemed to be following something and didn't notice her running behind him.

          "Harry!" she whispered loudly. But he kept on running towards the front doors. "Harry!" she said a little louder as they ran outside. He looked back for a second.

          "Hermione!" slowed down a bit so she could catch up, "Come on!"

          "Where are we going?" she asked as they ran faster.

          "I don't know," was his only reply, his tone dared her to ask any more questions. She didn't take the dare.

~@~@~@~@~

          Sirius ran towards the Forbidden Forest. It seemed someone was following him. There was no time to change into Padfoot. As he reached the forest edge he jumped over fallen trees and dodged still standing trees. He looked back for a second and saw that two people were following him. So he kept on running faster. They must have been students, because if they were teachers they probably would have thrown a curse at him by now. So he slowed down, because if they saw him they might get scared and run away. Good, but short, plan. He let them catch up. As they reached him he saw they both had wands and one was Harry. He now realized how long the knife was in his hand.

**Hope you liked it! Review if you wish, I won't stop you! I'm writing more! Later!**

          ~*SoccerrSweet*~


	2. Chapter 2

 Disclaimer: I own nothing.

           Title: To Kill a Mocking Rat

*~@~@~@~@~@~*

          Harry stopped Hermione from going any further. Hermione seeing whom they were following gripped onto Harry's arm like her life depended on it. Only a few fallen trees and some standing trees divided them and Sirius Black. 

          "Sirius Black?" Harry asked. Black slipped away from sight. Hermione tightened her grip on his arm he was beginning to lose feeling in his fingers.

          "Yes?" a hoarse voice answered from behind them. Harry spun around Hermione still attached to him. His and Hermione's wands were still out. Black snatched the wands from their hands. Hermione looked from the knife in his hand to the wands in his other. She was biting her bottom lip so hard it bled. She was muttering, "Please don't hurt us, please don't hurt us." Harry however took action. He took his right leg and ran it under Black's so he would trip. It worked until Black grabbed Hermione's left leg and pulled her down, she screamed when she fell. Oh course who wouldn't scream? Harry grabbed the fallen knife.

          "Hermione!" Black had her in a headlock.

~@~@~@~@~

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

          "What's going on?" Seamus Finnigan's voice asked. Ron Weasley was sitting up in bed, the hangings torn from one side, a look of utmost terror on his face.

          "Black! Sirius Black! With a knife!"

          _"What?"_

          "Here! Just now! Slashed the curtains! Woke me up!"

       "You sure you weren't dreaming, Ron?" said Dean Thomas.

          "Look at the curtains! I tell you, he was here!"

  They all scrambled out of bed; no one noticed Harry was missing. They sprinted down the staircase. Doors opened behind them, and sleepy voices called after them.

          "Who shouted?"

          "What're you doing?"

The common room was lit with the glow of the dying fire, still littered with the debris from the party. It was deserted.

          "Are you sure you weren't dreaming, Ron?"

          "I'm telling you, I saw him!"

          "What's all the noise?"

          "Professor McGonagall told us to go to bed!"

          A few of the girls had come down their staircase, pulling on dressing gowns and yawning. Boys, too, were appearing.

          "Excellent, are we carrying on?" Fred Weasley said brightly.

          "Everyone back upstairs!" said Percy, hurrying into the common room and pinning his Head Boy badge to his pajamas as he spoke.

     "Perce-Sirius Black!" said Ron faintly, "In our dormitory! With a knife! Woke me up!"

          The common room went very still.

     "Nonsense!" said Percy, looking startled. "You had too much to eat, Ron-had a nightmare~"

      "I'm telling you~"

    "Now really, enough's enough!"

     Professor McGonagall was back. She slammed the portrait behind her as she entered the common room and stared furiously around.

     "I am delighted Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!"

          "I certainly didn't authorize this, Professor!" said Percy, puffing himself up indignantly. "I was just telling them all to get back into bed! My brother Ron here had a nightmare~"

     "IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!" Ron yelled. "PROFESSOR, I WOKE UP, AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFE!"

Professor McGonagall stared at him

    "Don't be ridiculous, Weasley, how could he possibly have through the portrait hole?"

    "Ask him!" said Ron, pointing a shaking finger at the back of Sir Cadogan's picture. "Ask him if her saw~"

     Glaring suspiciously at Ron, Professor McGonagall pushed the portrait back open and went outside. The whole common room listened with bated breath.

    "Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower?"

   "Certainly, good lady!" cried Sir Cadogan.

  There was a stunned silence, both inside and outside the common room.

      "You-you _did?"_ said Professor McGonagall. "But-but the password!"

       "He had 'em!" said Sir Cadogan. "Had the whole weeks, my lady! Read 'em off a little piece of paper!"

          "Which person," she said her voice shaking, "which abysmally foolish person wrote down this weeks' passwords and left them lying around?"

          There was utter silence, broken by the smallest of terrified squeaks. Neville Longbottom, trembling from head to toe, raised his hand slowly in the air. After McGonagall gave Neville lecture and a punishment, Ron noticed Harry was not in the room.

          "Professor!" Ron said. "Harry's not here!"

      Professor McGonagall turned whiter than chalk.

          "Are you sure?"

          "Yes! And neither is Hermione!"

        "Stay here," the professor left Gryffindor Tower.

~@~@~@~@~

          "I won't hurt, Hermione, if you don't kill me," Sirius reasoned. He knew Harry wouldn't give up easily if he were anything like his father. 

          "And I thought you'd kill anyone who got in your way. What? Gone soft in Azkaban?" Harry snarled.

          "Harry!" Hermione said. Sirius felt like a knife had just gone through his chest. 

          "Harry, I didn't," Sirius said quietly.

     "Didn't do what?"

         "I didn't kill your parents! You don't understand!"

     "I understand a lot better than you think!"

          "I wasn't the secret keeper! Pettigrew was!"

     "Then what were you doing in Gryffindor Tower with a knife?" 

          "I was-er-getting Pettigrew sounds stupid I know, but please believe me, Harry. I can't lie."

Sorry it's such a crappy chapter, my sister's kicking me off the computer. 

**        ~***SoccerrSweet***~**


	3. Chapter 3

 Disclaimer: I own nothing.

           Title: To Kill a Mocking Rat

*~@~@~@~@~@~*

          "What do you mean, 'I can't tell a lie?'" Harry asked. "And Pettigrew's dead, you killed him twelve years ago."

      "Everything would be a lot clearer if I told you the whole story," Sirius said, lessening his grip on Hermione.

          "Fine, shoot," Harry said.

          "Okay. When I was in second year with my three best friends, James," he nodded towards Harry, "Peter, and someone else who probably doesn't want to be mentioned.

          "Well we hardly failed to notice that er the non mentioned person would disappear once a month. We checked the Lunar charts and realized he was always sick or gone on the full moon, which led to him being a-er-werewolf. James and I talked to him, and well, we decided to become Animagi. You see, a werewolf is only a danger to humans, so if we couldn't keep him company as humans, animals were our only choice.

          "In fifth year we were finally able to manage Animagi. I became a dog, Peter became a rat, and James became a~"

    Hermione started to object, "That was really dangerous! Running around in the dark with a werewolf!" She would have gone on but Sirius cleared his throat in her ear.

          "So James and Lily married. I thought that there was nothing better than their marriage, but when Lily had you, Harry, I was over excited. I wanted to name you Prongs Jr. but~"

          "Prongs? You knew Prongs?" Harry asked.

     "Of course I did! Your father was basically my brother," Sirius said. 

          "But Prongs wrote the Marauder's Map. And I for one don't think my _dad_ wrote the map."

          "Think again then. I'm Padfoot. You used to call me, Pafoo. Peter was Wormtail; you never quite learned his name. And R-the other person's was Moony."

          "You-you…"

          "Yeah, me. Anyway, we found someone was passing information about the Potters to Voldemort. So Dumbledore suggested the Fidelius Charm, you needed a Secret Keeper. James automatically suggested me. The night before your parents died, I thought it might be better if Peter was the Secret Keeper. Voldemort wouldn't even think the Potters would use a weak thing like Pettigrew. But I was wrong. The Fidelius charm was performed on Peter and the Potters, that night they died. I knew Peter had betrayed them. So I went to check up on Peter. He wasn't in his hiding place. I had that gut feeling. So I rushed to Godric's Hollow on my motorbike. But I was too late. My best friends' house was in ruins. I ran to James who was lying, dead on the floor. I cried a bit. Then I heard Hagrid. He told me that Harry was still alive. I wanted to take you, so you wouldn't have to live at the Dursley's. We argued, Hagrid won. I let him take my motorbike; I wouldn't need it after that night. My flying days were over. After that I realized I wanted Pettigrew to suffer for betraying my best friends and causing them their death. The next day I caught up with him. He yelled to the whole street that I had betrayed James and Lily and blasted the whole street apart. He turned into a rat and disappeared. When the ministry arrested me, I was laughing because I knew that Hell couldn't be much worse than this. I was crazy. Twelve years later I broke out to kill Pettigrew. Here I am now."

 Hermione muttered something. 

          "What?" Sirius asked.

          "Lupin. Professor Lupin was the werewolf," Hermione said.

          "How would you know, Hermione?" Harry asked puzzled. Hermione put her arms on Sirius' and thrust them upward so he wasn't holding onto her and stood up. Sirius also stood up. 

          "Well, isn't it obvious? He's always gone on the full moon and when he was fighting the boggart it changed into a moon. Many people thought it was a crystal, but I knew he wouldn't be afraid of a _crystal. _Am I right, Black?"

          "Pretty much," he muttered.

          "And when Snape assigned us that essay on werewolves and we told him we hadn't ever covered anything about werewolves, I found that Snape wanted us to realize what Lupin's symptoms meant."

          "Snape? He teaches?" a look of horror spread over Sirius' face. "If he has caused you, Har-er-two-er harm, I want to know. If so I want to give him a little visit."

          "And let yourself get caught?" Harry asked.

          "So you trust me?" 

          "No, I never said that. I'm simply implying that we go to Dumbledore and tell him the-er truth." 

          "No, you were just thinking quickly, I can tell." They started walking through the forest back to Hogwarts.

          "Won't we look weird with a convicted murderer walking us back to school?" Hermione asked. 

          "That's where being an Animagus comes in handy," he said before turning into the grim-like dog.

          "That works," Harry muttered to Hermione who picked up both of their wands. As they walked back to Hogwarts they picked up their speed.

          "How can we be sure he's not, you know," Hermione whispered.

          "It's a gut feeling. I know it sounds weird but he might be innocent."

          "Well, we can't be too careful! Be on your toes, and keep your wand out!"

          As they reached the castle doors they saw light coming through the cracks and footstep shadows. As they faded they opened the doors. Coast was all clear. The three found their way to the Headmaster's office. Harry, remembering from the last time he visited Dumbledore's office, said the password to enter. As they walked the rounding stairs they pounded on the huge oak door. It seemed whoever else was in the room jumped.

           "Yes?" a muffled voice came. Harry and Hermione opened the door followed by Sirius.

          "Mr. Potter! Miss Granger! Where have you been?" Professor McGonagall said. Professors Dumbledore, Lupin, and Snape were also present. Professor Lupin's eyes were on the dog.

          "Oh, we were um, following something. It sort of led us outside and we weren't thinking about Sirius Black or anything," Hermione quickly explained.

          "You aren't hurt or anything, are you?" Lupin asked after a staring contest with Sirius.

          "I am sure Mr. Potter and Miss Granger would like to speak with me privately," Dumbledore said. Snape was unusually quiet. The professors filed out of the office.

          "Professor, Sirius Black is innocent! I think. We met him in the forest!"

-"He explained everything to us!"

          "I want to know from his own mouth. And I would like to know who your companion is." Dumbledore looked at the dog.

          "Oh, he's-er~" (no point in lying to Dumbledore) –"He's Sirius Black. Come on Sirius, change back." Sirius obeyed Harry's command. 

          "Professor!" Sirius' hoarse voice exclaimed. "I didn't do it! The night before the Fidelius Charm was performed I switched with Peter! Then when it was performed I knew something was wrong! I went to Peter's and~"

          "Sirius, calm down. Please tell me the whole story calmly and rationally," Dumbledore reasoned. He turned to Harry and Hermione. "I think you should get off to sleep. I do expect you to be in your classes tomorrow." Harry and Hermione looked at each other and obeyed. 

          **Sorry if the chap's a little short, I was getting tired of typing, in an hour or so it'll be better. I'm writing this on 10/31/03 so Happy Halloween, for now at least.**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: (while sleeping) I…own…nothing…zzz… To Kill a Mocking Rat 

_Chapter 4._

_What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson~_

…The next morning Harry and Hermione raced to Dumbledore's office. Ron tagged along not knowing anything about anything.

       "Guys-where-are-we-going?" he asked. As they reached Dumbledore's office Hermione said, "Does this answer your question?" A muffled 'I guess' could be heard. The girl knocked on the big oak door. 

       "Mmm hmm?" was audible from inside. Harry and Hermione pushed open the door. Sirius sat on a red chair reading a book that Harry was not able to see the name. Dumbledore was nowhere in sight.

       "Where's Dumbledore?" Harry asked. Ron, realizing who this was, gasped.

       "Ministry, trying to get me a trial," he grinned. Harry knew what that meant.

       "You're Sirius Black!" Ron said.

       "And you're a Weasley!" Sirius laughed. Harry and Hermione chuckled.

       "It's not funny! He almost killed me with a knife!" he accused.

       "Not you, the rat." Ron furrowed his brows together.

       "Scabbers?" 

       "That's what you call him?" Sirius asked.

       "What does it matter?" Ron said sticking his hands in his pockets.

       "Nothing. I was just curious."

       "Curiosity killed the cat," the teen retorted.

       "And satisfaction brought it back. Everyone always forgets that part," Sirius said calmly.

       "You're getting off the subject," Ron accused.

       "I am, aren't I?" Sirius was completely relaxed.

       "Ron, he's innocent. Professor Dumbledore is trying to get him a trial," Harry explained to his friend. 

       "That's exactly what he wants you to think," Ron warned. Sirius laughed.

       "You sound like one of those people in a muggle movie," he said.

       "You've seen muggle movies?" Hermione asked.

       "Yeah, Lily took James to them some times. After the third one James dragged me with to suffer with him," Sirius sighed. "Those were the days."

       "No Sirius, _these _are the days," Hermione piped up.

       "I didn't expect to see you three so early," Professor Dumbledore came up from behind.

       "Hello Professor," Sirius said. 

       "How many times have I told you? Call me Albus, I'm not your teacher anymore," Dumbledore said.

       "Did you manage to get him a trial, Professor?" Harry asked.

       "I did. Only one thing…" Sirius groaned.

       "There's always a price, isn't there?" he asked.

       "You have to turn yourself in." 

       "What's the point? Why don't they just give me Veritaserum? I'm sure nobody wants to be there anyway," Sirius sighed.

       "There will be only ministry members and witnesses. And anyone close," Dumbledore added glancing at the trio.

       "How do we know he's telling the truth?" Ron asked.

       "I tested him with Veritaserum. Quite handy if you ask me," Professor Dumbledore replied wryly. "Well, like I said yesterday, I expect you to be in your classes today, and not a minute late." That was obviously a dismissal. 

The trio led themselves out of the office. Once down the stairs Ron asked, "What was that about?"

So Harry and Hermione started explaining about Peter and Sirius and James and Lily. All Ron said in reply was "Oh".

                ~@~@~@~@~@~@~

       "Sirius Black, you have been charged with a part of the murder of James and Lily Potter. How do you plead?" 

       "Innocent."

Gasps went around the crowd that day of the trial. Harry, Ron, and Hermione smiled at each other. Cornelius Fudge and Barty Crouch traded looks of disgust meant for Sirius.

       "Excuse me, innocent?" Crouch asked again.

       "You heard me, innocent," Sirius said again.  Crouch snapped his fingers for Veritaserum. 

"Sirius Black, you will be given Veritaserum to make sure you are completely truthful," Crouch explained. 

"Oh lovely," Sirius rolled his eyes. A little ministry man came down with a vial with a nasty, green, liquid enclosed within. He man tilted back Sirius' head intending to pour the vile substance down his throat. Sirius stopped him. "If you do it I'll be sure to choke."

"Do _you _want to do it Mr. Black?" Fudge asked.

"On your leave minister," Sirius grasped his noise and chugged the vile liquid and coughed. The trio looked at each other in concern. Crouch stepped forwards.

"Please state your name," he ordered.

"Sirius Black."

"Have you ever used Veritaserum before now?" 

"Yes." 

"Where?"

"Albus Dumbledore. I was found innocent."


End file.
